Always There
by KC Pendragon
Summary: She was always there for him and now he needs her again. But Jack got more than he planned on when his feisty friend tags along for the adventure. Two shot. Set post-Frozen, during-RotG.
1. Arrival and Flight

It was a beautiful, bright spring day in Arendelle and Anna was enjoying it in one of her favorite gardens near the palace. Normally she'd be in and out of the town, exploring, but since there was a dignitary visiting that evening, she had to stay near the castle so that she could be ready in time for dinner. However, there was still plenty to enjoy even in the garden. Currently she was cuddling a few ducklings while the mother watched nearby. She giggled as one of them hopped onto her wrist and gave a plucky quack.

Anna shivered as she suddenly felt a freezing cold wind blow by her. She was in a summer dress with thin sleeves, so she felt the full force of the blast. Odd, she thought. Wondering what her sister could be up to, she raced inside to find Elsa.

"Elsa?" she asked, wandering around, wondering where she could be. She checked the more obvious places first, but couldn't find her in the library, her room, or her study. There was only one other place Anna could think to find her, and she sprinted towards the kitchen.

"Are you sneaking chocolate?" Anna asked playfully, looking in the pantry. Elsa blushed as she was caught with several squares of fudge neatly stored in a napkin.

"Would you like some?" she offered, holding out the napkin. Anna giggled at a small streak of chocolate near her sister's mouth. She pointed at it and Elsa quickly wiped it away.

"You know how to buy my silence," Anna said with a laugh, taking a square. "I was just wondering if everything's all right?"

"Yes, why wouldn't it be?" Elsa said, raising an eyebrow.

"Ahhhh…. no reason," Anna said, now confused. "Just wondering, that's all. I mean, the Duke of Winbrane coming and all, it's bound to be stressful."

"I feel perfectly fine," Elsa assured her. "Should I be worried?" she asked, wondering what mischief her sister might have gotten into since breakfast.

"No," Anna said firmly. She dropped her fudge as a thought ran across her mind. But that was impossible! She had to make sure, though. "I've got to go."

"All right then…" Elsa said, as Anna rushed out of the pantry. She walked out and turned to the cook. "Make sure my sister doesn't get a very large slice of cake tonight, Edvin. I'm worried all the sugar she's been having is affecting her brain."

…

Anna ran into her room. "Jack?" she asked tentatively, slowly coming in. She saw a young, stick-legged man sitting on her bed. "Jack!" she cried, running and pulling him into a bone-crushing hug. "You're here! But how? I thought being in warm weather made you sick."

"I just needed to see you," he said quietly, looking visibly upset. "Needed to know at least one person doesn't hate me."

"What's wrong?" Anna asked, sitting down next to him and putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

He began to rant and Anna listened. He talked about how he had been asked to be a Guardian, but he didn't want to be one. However, before he could leave, Pitch Black, the Nightmare King, had broken into Tooth's palace and stolen all the teeth and her helper fairies. Jack had agreed to help them find the teeth and fairies in exchange for memories of his past.

"The teeth - she has mine," he explained, breathless with excitement and frustration, hands waving around wildly with every word, "All this time I could have known who I was, why I was made like this, why I'm here."

"You waited for this for years, anyone would want to know," Anna said, understanding. "What happened?"

He told her about how they did the fairies' job and took the teeth and gave the children their coins. It had helped keep the children's faith in the Guardians alive. Soon after, Pitch had attacked them and Sandy had been destroyed by his Nightmares. Anna shivered as she remembered having a particularly terrible nightmare the night before. She hadn't realized how big the Sandman's impact was; until now the Guardians and Jack's story seemed further away, less personal to her.

Jack continued on as he talked about how Easter was next and he and the remaining Guardians helped Bunny in making all the eggs for the children. However, a child, who apparently had found one of North's teleportation globes while they had been grabbing teeth, had found her way into the Warren. Jack took her back to her home and put her to bed, which is when he heard a voice.

"It called my name; I recognized it! I can't remember where I heard it, but it sounded so familiar. I chased after it, until I found this broken bed in the middle of the forest. I went down and found myself in Pitch's lair. I found the fairies, and all the teeth. I tried to free the fairies, but they couldn't fly, and then I heard that voice again. I searched in the teeth, until Pitch came and showed me he had mine. We fought, but then he just… gave me the teeth. I didn't understand until I saw the tunnels leading out of the Warren: all the eggs were smashed. When I came out, I was in a park, where the other Guardians were.

"All the children couldn't see Bunny anymore. They had lost faith in him. The Guardians all blamed me. I wasn't there when the Nightmares attacked the Warren; they thought I had left to go find Pitch on purpose. They wouldn't listen and I couldn't stay. So I left and came here." He looked at her with sad eyes. "The only person right now that knows I exist and doesn't hate me."

Anna gave him a hug, before he could say anything else. After he relaxed a little, she let him go and turned his shoulders so that he looked her in the eye. "So Pitch is still out there, with the fairies and teeth, the Easter Bunny is no longer believed in, and children are losing faith in the Guardians everywhere, is that right?"

"That about sums it up, yes," he said with a wry smile.

"Well then it looks like you could use some help." Anna said, getting up and walking to her closet. She quickly took out her travelling cloak and turned back to Jack. "And that's what I'm going to do."

"Anna, no, it's too dangerous," Jack insisted, but she cut him off with a look and a firm hand.

"Jack, I've survived being frozen by my sister. I think I can handle a Nightmare King." She gave him a brave smile. "I walked across a frozen fjord in a blizzard while freezing to death; this will be a walk in the park!"

He raised an eyebrow, doubtful that she understood what she was risking.

Anna placed both hands on his shoulders. "I'm not a five-year-old anymore, Jack. I think I can decide for myself if I want to go or not."

"It'll be dangerous."

"Fought against a snow monster, remember?"

"You could get hurt."

"Fiancé tried to kill me."

"I may not be able to protect you."

"I'm there to protect you, silly."

"Your sister will kill me if you die."

"She doesn't even know you exist."

"You're going to try to follow, even if I leave you behind."

"Probably."

"Fine."

"Good."

Jack got up from Anna's bed and he joined her at the window. His ice and frost flurry had subsided a while ago and now Arendelle was again bright and very warm. Anna opened the window and they stood on the ledge looking out. "Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," she replied.

He leapt off, Anna hugging him tightly, trying to hold back a scream as the wind flew them towards the Guardians. Jack didn't know the way, so he hoped that the wind would do the work for him.

They soared over Arendelle, Anna looking down at her kingdom in wonder. She could see even more than she could from the rooftops of the castle and the view was amazing. If she survived whatever was coming, she'd have to ask Jack for more rides like this.

They flew by the North Mountain, perpetually covered in snow, when they were suddenly buffeted by a competing wind. "Jack, what's wrong?" Anna asked, clutching to him even more tightly (if that was even possible).

"I don't know-" he started, before he was cut off by a Nightmare about to hit Anna and him. He ducked, but was hit by a second one coming from his blind side. They both fell and crashed into the powdery snow below. "Anna!" he yelled. "Are you all right?!"

It was several long, agonizing moments before her head popped above the snow. "I'm fine!" she said. "Like landing on a pillow, remember?"

He almost laughed, but was distracted by Pitch swooping down and grabbing Anna. "Let me go!" she yelled, kicking at him.

Pitch chuckled. "Feisty, isn't she?" he asked Jack, clutching Anna closely, stroking her braids. "And the fear, oh, delicious!" He gave Jack a patronizing look. "Though it's more from you than her; she doesn't seem to know when to be afraid."

"Let her go, Pitch, she has nothing to do with this!" Jack yelled, staff pointed defensively. He would have gone after Pitch in a heartbeat, but with Anna there in his grasp… he couldn't risk hurting her.

"Think I didn't hear what you two said?" Pitch said with a sneer. "She came, knowing what the consequences were, foolish girl. Well, now she'll know the price. Unless you're willing to make a trade?"

"What do you want?" he asked Pitch hesitantly.

"Well, I'm quite annoyed by your interference with my plans. You give me that staff, and I'll give you back the girl."

"No, Jack!" Anna yelled, knowing that it was the way Jack channeled his powers. "Go help the Guardians, I'll be-" She was cut off as Pitch wrapped his arm around her throat, and she struggled for breath.

"Shut up!" he shouted at her. He turned back to Jack. "The girl or the staff, Jack, make your choice."

Jack didn't hesitate before he slowly gave over his staff to Pitch. "Now let her go," he said after Pitch held his staff in his free hand.

"No." Pitch said simply, holding Anna close to him. "I think I'll-"

But Anna had had enough. I don't think so, she thought, before twisting and biting Pitch hard on the arm. He yelled before grabbing her by the cloak and throwing her into the valley. Jack could see she hit the opposite stone wall hard before tumbling down to the bottom.

"Anna!" he yelled, before running at Pitch. He may not have had a way to use his powers anymore, but he wasn't going to allow Pitch to do that without paying the price. Pitch easily sidestepped him and his Nightmares threw Jack into the valley as well. Pitch gave a dark laugh before snapping Jack's staff in two and throwing the pieces into the valley with him.

"Anna?" Jack said, crawling to where his friend lay, unmoving. He checked her for injuries, but she was very fortunate. There was no blood and it didn't look like anything had broken. She stirred a little as he finished his inspection.

"Jack?" she asked in a small voice. "What happened?"

"Pitch took my staff and broke it," he said in defeat. "You know I need my staff to use my powers."

Anna struggled to sit upright and Jack helped her. She leaned against the wall and looked at him with large, sad eyes. "I'm sorry we didn't get the Guardians." She stared at her hands. "It's all my fault; if I had just stayed in the castle and let you go, Pitch wouldn't have gotten you."

"Hey, don't blame yourself," Jack assured her. "I made my choice, and I don't regret it."

"Thank you," she said, her voice cracking. "But what can we do now?" She looked up at the sky, blinking away the snowflakes falling in her eyes.

Before he could answer, he was interrupted by a young child's voice yelling Jack! Jack? Jack!

"What wrong?" Anna asked, confused at Jack's sudden stiffening. She apparently couldn't hear it.

"It's that voice again," Jack told her, thinking. He reached into his pocket and found his teeth were still in there.

"Those are your teeth?" Anna asked. He nodded. "You finally can know, Jack. Maybe this will help."

He considered it for a few moments, doubtful that it would be useful. Curiosity won over eventually, as he pressed the jeweled opening.

Anna waited with baited breath to hear what he found. He gasped a few second later, a look of amazement on his face. "Did you see that?" he asked.

"No," Anna replied. "Why? What did you see?"

"I was human! And I had a family! And a sister! I saved her! That's why I was in the ice: I fell through as I rescued my sister from thin ice. That's…" He looked up at the moon. "That's why you made me a spirit. That's why you chose me to be a Guardian." He looked at Anna with eyes full of amazement. "We have to find the other Guardians."

"Great idea, the only question is: how are we going to do that?" Anna asked, pulling her cloak closer to her body; it was getting almost unbearably cold.

Jack wondered. He couldn't summon the winds by himself; he was powerless without his staff. But maybe…

He ran to the broken pieces of his staff and fit them together again. He focused every bit of energy he possessed and channelled it into the staff. "Come on, come on," he muttered, grunting with effort. He pushed even more, until he didn't know if he had any more magic left. He focused on Anna and all the children that needed him. He remembered his sister; he was chosen to protect the children and he wasn't about to let Pitch win.

Anna gave a shout of victory as his staff glowed and the splintered ends fused together again. "You did it, Jack!" Anna whooped. He laughed in relief.

"Come on, we have to find the Guardians," he said, before hugging her tightly to him and calling the wind again. It eagerly shot them towards the sky.

* * *

**Whew! This was the work of several months of brainstorming and editing! I decided I'm not going to be able to do much more with it and decided to start posting. Part two should be up soon, as it's already complete and edited.**


	2. Fight and Belief

"So where are they?" Anna asked, yelling over the wind.

"I'm not sure," Jack replied. "I'm hoping the wind will take us to them."

"What?!" Anna yelled back, wondering if Jack understood how insane the idea was. "You're hoping we bump into them?!"

"Kinda left them in the middle of Reisling; they've probably moved since then! What do-" he was interrupted as a sleigh nearly ran into them. He swerved quickly to get out of the way and noticed that he recognized the sleigh (not that there were many flying sleighs that existed in the world to start). "Well that's convenient," he said as he followed the sleigh in its downward path for a crash landing on the ground.

"What was that?" Anna asked incredulously, staring at the battered sled and the dazed riders crawling out of the wreck.

"That would be the Guardians," Jack said, landing gently and letting go of Anna. She tightened her cloak around her, trying not to feel the biting wind picking up.

"Ummmm… all right then…" she said warily, wondering how they would react to seeing Jack again, as they hadn't departed on very good terms from what she heard.

"North, what are you doing here?" Jack asked, talking to a large man with an impressive white beard.

"We have come to find the last believer," North said. "Apparently you had same idea." He gestured to Anna.

"Wait, what?" Anna asked. "What do you mean I'm the last believer?"

"The Globe," North said, by way of an explanation. Anna had no idea what a globe had to do with anything. "All the lights went out, except for one, which was on this mountain. We had to come."

"Wait…" Jack saw Tooth standing near North, but noticed there was a missing Guardian. "Where's Bunny?"

"Losing Easter affected us all," North said. "But Bunny was hit worst."

Anna nearly laughed as a cute, fluffy little bunny rabbit hopped out of the sleigh. "Wait… is that supposed to be the Easter Bunny? But he's adorable!"

She nearly leapt out of her skin as the bunny started talking in a voice much deeper than she expected (if she had expected bunnies to talk at all), "Ay! Did you tell her - did he tell you to say that?" The rabbit stood on its hind legs and put two paws up. "Let's go, you and me, Frosty!"

"No, no," Anna cut in hastily. "He told me about how you were before, all big and strong. He told me you were a great warrior." So he hadn't said that exactly, but she could at least try to get Jack back on the good side of the Guardians. She threw Jack a look in case he tried to get in a snide comment, since now was not the time.

"You said that about me?" Bunny said incredulously to Jack, sounding almost grateful. Anna had to hold herself back from scratching his ears - they looked so soft.

"Well isn't this touching." Anna gasped as she recognized Pitch's voice. Her body froze up as the shadows seemed to elongate; she hadn't felt so cold since Elsa had hit her with ice magic a year ago. Jack stood in front of her protectively, while she wrapped her cloak around her body tighter. It was so cold… and she was so tired...

"Pitch," Jack growled. "What are you doing here?"

"One last light, one last fool who believes. I simply had to come." Even though the cold was making her sluggish and weak, Anna felt the fiery urge to go and knock Pitch out. She found Jack's free hand and held on tightly.

"Well you're not going to get me to stop believing!" Anna yelled back defiantly.

"Well now that you've seen the Guardians, I suppose your light will be a little more difficult to snuff out than simply taking away Easter or Christmas. But there are other ways," he said with a sinister chuckle, petting one of his Nightmares.

The Guardians all stood in front of Anna, shielding her from Pitch. "I don't think so!" Tooth yelled.

"You'll have to get through us first." Bunny hopped forward and thumped his foot defiantly.

"That can be arranged," said Pitch. Anna didn't like the devious gleam in his eye. Her eyes widened as his Nightmares streamed towards them.

"Run, Anna!" Jack yelled, pushing her away while he ran towards the Nightmares.

Anna rushed off, leaping over rocks and branches, trying to escape, but she was too slow. They were quickly gaining on her and she screamed as her cloak caught on a fallen tree branch. She saw the Guardians a little ways away, trying to fight off the Nightmares. Pitch came to the front of the swarming Nightmares, holding them back for a moment.

"All this over a child?" he sneered. "Honestly, I expected at least a little resistance. But no matter, soon you'll be gone and everyone will quickly learn to fear Pitch Black once again!"

Fear… Jack had told her each of the spirits had a power and she knew Pitch had his fear. But she also knew that he was weak when there was an absence, Jack had explained how the Dark Ages had ended because people stopped being afraid of Pitch.

I've faced a sword to save my sister. Why was I not scared then, but I am now? Then she remembered how she was scared when she faced Hans, but she found the courage to overcome it. Anna struggled to her feet and faced Pitch.

"Yes, I am afraid," she admitted. "But that doesn't mean I'm weak! And it doesn't mean that I'll let that fear control me! Yes, I believe in you, Pitch Black, and yes I'm afraid. I'm just brave enough to face my fears."

Anna held her ground as the first Nightmare rushed towards her, though she put a hand in front of her in a weak attempt to protect her face from the sand. But she wasn't consumed by it, like she thought she'd be; instead it turned golden, the shape of the horse deforming until it was a swirling cloud of sand.

"What?" Pitch shrieked, while Anna laughed in delight and relief. "How is this possible? You're still afraid, I can feel it!"

"There are some things stronger than fear," Anna replied, before touching more of the Nightmares near her. They also turned into golden sand and Anna smiled as the dark mountain was illuminated in a soft light. Soon the golden sand began to spread to the other Nightmares, before Anna could even come near them. They swirled together, before the light became almost painful to look at. Anna covered her eyes and when she looked again, there was a little golden man floating on the sand cloud. She didn't need the Guardians' shocked cries to know who it was.

"Sandy!" They all yelled in joy.

The Sandman did not reply with words, only a single nod before he began to let out tendrils of sand in every direction, all aiming at another Nightmare.

"No!" Pitch yelled in frustration. He turned to glare at Anna, pointing an accusing finger. "You. This is your fault!" He charged at her and Anna felt a fresh wave of fear coursing through her. She wasn't sure she could take on Pitch himself, as he wasn't made the same way the Nightmares were. But before he could reach her, Pitch was thrown into the air, dragged by one of the streams of sand, which Sandy was using like a whip, to throw Pitch around.

Anna watched as Sandy tossed Pitch into the air, caught him with another tendril of sand, and launched him into the sky. She felt Jack put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Nicely done," he congratulated her.

"Thanks to you," she said. In response to his questioning look, she added, "You told me how Pitch was defeated before: people stopped being afraid. And then I remembered the last time I faced something like this. I put a few pieces together and hoped for the best."

Jack laughed. "You are definitely something else."

Anna gave a small giggle. "So where's Pitch now?"

"Sandy sent him back to his lair, where he'll stay for many more years; his sand will make sure of that."

Anna gave Jack a tired smile. "Good."

"So you must be the sheila that Jack won't shut up about." Anna looked down to see the Easter Bunny at her feet. She raised an eyebrow and gave Jack a questioning look.

"Oh really?" she asked, nearly laughing at Jack's embarassment.

"No I don't!" Jack protested, nudging Bunny away with his foot.

"He wouldn't stop talking about the pretty sheila in braids who saved her sister!" Bunny said, fighting Jack's foot. "You wouldn't be able to do this, mate, if I was my normal size."

"Wait, why are you still a tiny rabbit?" Anna asked, kneeling down to look at Bunny.

"Still not enough to believe to keep me big, sheila," Bunny explained.

Anna considered him for a moment. "I have an idea..."

...

The people of Arendelle awoke to the world covered in snow. Children raced out of the cottages and houses to admire the pretty patterns of frost on the walls and streets. "Look at what the Queen has done!" one girl yelled in excitement, bringing some adults to the windows and doors.

"Not me," Elsa said, coming through the middle of the town square with her sister.

"A late snow?" another woman asked.

"Not that!" Anna said with a giggle, looking to her left at thin air.

"Then what?" asked a small boy who toddled forward.

"Jack Frost," Anna said in a secretive tone.

The child giggled as he was hit with a small dusting of snow and a strange boy appeared before his eyes, his hair even whiter than Queen Elsa's.

"It's Jack Frost!" the child yelled throughout the streets, running back to his siblings. Many were confused until Jack hit them with a snowball or blew a cloud of snow in their faces. Then more started to see until they all saw and believed.

It wasn't long before all the Guardians became visible to everyone, Bunny growing in size once a few children began scratching his ears. They ran away screaming when he became six feet again, until he brought over some of his little eggs, running on their funny feet.

Anna laughed as she watched Jack play and the Guardians become their full selves again, once they had more true believers. Elsa watched with a demure smile on her lips.

"So are you mad?" she asked hesitantly.

"Well I'm not happy you left me alone with that insufferable duke! And rushing off into danger without considering the consequences..." Anna nearly shrank away, until Elsa gave her a reassuring smile. "But I am proud of you; you're brave enough for the both of us, the Mother knows."

Anna smiled back. "Maybe you should compete with Jack to see how his powers compare with yours."

"Perhaps," Elsa said. "But not today."

Soon after, the fun paused as North brought forth his funny elves, a few yeti, and a great book. "Jack Frost, are you willing to become a Guardian?"

Jack looked at Anna, who gave him an encouraging nod before he went to North and said, "I'm ready."

Anna watched in pride as North recited the pledge for Guardianship, to protect the children and their hopes and dreams. "I will," Jack promised at the end.

Anna ran up to him and gave him an enthusiastic hug. "You're a Guardian now, isn't that fantastic?"

"It is," he agreed, smiling at her enthusiasm.

They played with the children until North said the Guardians should be returning to the Pole and Jack noticed the sun's heat was beginning to be a bother.

"Will you still come and visit?" Anna asked.

"Of course!" he said. "When the first snow comes, I'll be here."

She smiled a sad smile. "That's very far away."

"But even when I'm gone, I'll still be right here." He pointed to her heart. She hugged him tightly.

"I'll miss you," she mumbled into his shoulder, her voice breaking.

"I'll be back before you know it," Jack said, gently cupping her face with a hand.

She gave it a squeeze before letting it go and watching him climb into North's sleigh. Elsa put a reassuring arm around her as Anna watched her best friend shoot into the sky.

"Goodbye, Jack," Anna whispered to the sky. "See you soon."

* * *

**I said I'd be back soon! Yes, Anna took over the movie, sorry if you were expecting Jamie to show up. It was only meant to be a hurt/comfort, with Jack leaving the castle by himself, but then Anna kinda took over before I could stop her. And I had a small issue with RotG basically saying "fear is bad" and I changed it to "don't let fear control you".**

**Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed and keep a lookout for more Jack and Anna adventures, especially ones explaining their first meetings and events leading up to and during Frozen. **

**-KC**


End file.
